Though originally conceived as a means of exchanging research information, the Internet has grown into one of the world's major avenues for the sale of products and services. Indeed, the commercial exploitation of the Internet seems to have greatly eclipsed its original pedagogical function. A great deal of time and resources are spent today searching for new ways to utilize the Internet as a sales and marketing tool. As a result, the Internet has evolved into what some have described as a virtual shopping mall. Patrons can “walk” through the mall by surfing the Web, which allows them to see what products are available and at what price. If consumers wish to buy something, they can pay for their purchase online using either credit cards or other secure payment systems such as PayPal®. The purchased item may then be shipped to the consumers' homes, or picked up at a local retail outlet. But even though consumers can see pictures and read information related to the products being offered for sale on the Internet, they cannot physically interact with these products. Further, a great many alternatives for virtually evaluating and comparing online products and services, some of which may not necessarily be feasible in the real world, have yet to be explored.